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Identify this mouser please...need cal

Bibskid

FAMILY TRADITION
Minuteman
Nov 7, 2022
26
17
Kansas
Great granddad's gun. I need to know model and possibly the caliber. IMG_20221107_093115830.jpg
 

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For reference to those new to this thread, it was started in the Armory section and already has a little info posted there.

 
I bet 3 different threads would get your answer faster
 
Not a practical project. Abandon ship and save yourself 3-5k and a lot of typing.
 
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Man there is some harsh folks on here. Brother I'm going down with the ship.
 
Not a practical project. Abandon ship and save yourself 3-5k and a lot of typing.
Ok man why is this not practical? Lol this gun junk? Defective? Parts hard to find? It's America lately practical don't apply.
 
I get the sentiment. Yet if your GGF had cared much about it it would be in better and usable condition.
There are literally thousands of Mauser variations. No one knows them all.
The smiths who knew much about them are mostly gone. The few that remain are ultra expensive.
Worst of all is if you spend 1500 or 150,000 it will be worth about nothing when done.
This from a guy who has spent fortune on Mausers.
Carry on,
Good luck!
 
I get the sentiment. Yet if your GGF had cared much about it it would be in better and usable condition.
There are literally thousands of Mauser variations. No one knows them all.
The smiths who knew much about them are mostly gone. The few that remain are ultra expensive.
Worst of all is if you spend 1500 or 150,000 it will be worth about nothing when done.
This from a guy who has spent fortune on Mausers.
Carry on,
Good luck!
Didn't get trashed at the hands of grand dad. I got it and few others out of rafters in barn.
 
Appears to be Belgium made at FN would be my guess. Made for Venezuela. Caliber? Good guess. Looks to be sporterized. Need more pics!

I don’t know what tools you have available to you but worse case scenario grab a 30 cal bullet, a 7mm bullet etc…see what won’t go into the barrel. That would at least give you an idea of the bore size.

Better yet get some cerrosafe from Brownells and do a chamber cast and up into the rifling. That would help a ton in identifying the caliber and cartridge.

Later, Frank
 
Most Venezuelan Mausers I've seen are 7x57mm. Does it have a straight or bent bolt handle?

If you can measure the inside diameter of the muzzle with a dial caliper, it should be .284" if it's a 7mm.
 
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I think FN M30 in 7 x 57mm , just one possibility .
 
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Most Venezuelan Mausers I've seen are 7x57mm. Does it have a straight or bent bolt handle?

If you can measure the inside diameter of the muzzle with a dial caliper, it should be .284" if it's a 7mm.
The handle is broke off. It's been sported already. Notch cut in stock so gonna say curved?? I've sent one bolt back to Numrich. Now I'm trying to find iron sights complete rear and complete front sights. Until bolt gets figured out by Numrich. Like to know if rifle can be converted to accept a clip with more rounds. Lots to do and figure out. Thanks everyone for tips and information.
 
I’m not sure if you mean you want a larger stripper clip or that you want to convert to magazine fed. You are aware that this Mauser if fed using five round stripper clips right? Once there’s five rounds in it, that’s probably the max your are allowed for hunting anyway, right?

Stripper clips hold the rounds to load the internal magazine like this:

1668016080366.jpeg


You can get some stripper clips at numrich arms while you’re getting the correct bolt.

 
By the way, not to go back to being harsh, but from the sound of things, you are in way over your head on this and lack a general understanding of even how the rifle works.

I think that you’d be better off hanging this rifle up on the wall to admire and remind you of your gandfather and just buy a working Mauser, or even Garand to use for the experience of hunting with a vintage military weapon of that era.

Either that or find a local CMP group in your area and spend some time shooting and learning with them before buying a whole bunch of parts that may or may not work with this unidentified rifle. If you don’t do something to learn s as lot more about the rifle first, you will most definitely head down a financial rabbit hole. And then likely still have a non-functional/non-usable wall hanger.
 
I’m not sure if you mean you want a larger stripper clip or that you want to convert to magazine fed. You are aware that this Mauser if fed using five round stripper clips right? Once there’s five rounds in it, that’s probably the max your are allowed for hunting anyway, right?

Stripper clips hold the rounds to load the internal magazine like this:

View attachment 7995192

You can get some stripper clips at numrich arms while you’re getting the correct bolt.

KS law says any center fire rifle. 5 is plenty for plain ole hunting. But may need this rifle for other reasons. I'm kinda just fishing around. The iron sights are next item to get. If bolt works out. I thought it took a strip. But not that far into it yet. Thanks for confirming my suspicions.
 
Some food for thought. I started down the detachable magazine route years ago. You would be needing a lot of custom fabrication for the bottom metal and magazines with no guarantee that things would work. There used to be a good write-up on here back around 2012 or earlier by a member who did it.

I have several “vintage“ custom rifles built on various Mauser actions both in 1896 and 1898 pattern. Great sporters, but I could never recoup my investments if I decided to sell. All but two were built in the early-mid ‘80’s when it was still rather economical to do and we didn’t have all of the great options that are available now.

Restoring yours is a noble endeavor, but may have issues with how it was sporterized depending on how the front sight was removed. I don’t know if the Venezuelan front sights were part of the barrel or if they were silver soldered on.

Another source for parts is: Old Arms of Idaho

My last sporter came to me in this condition, still a lot of work for completion.
Husquavarna Small Ring (96) with an interesting stock.
404FA30F-062B-4CD0-9FE1-EE8F40C00095.jpeg
 
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Thanks for heads up. Keep it simple. Front sight looked to be a band around barrel. Had pits about half inch wide where looked like a band was. I guess rear sight has rings on base. As I can see small gap in stock top edge.
 
I recently helped a friend identify inherited guns that will be sold at auction. He had a Model 1917, converted to a hunting rifle, which had been modified so much it was difficult to identify. If he decides to keep the Model 1917, my recommendation was to leave it as is.
 
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This thread went way off the rails, but fwiw, rifle is an FN-made Venezuelan Model 24/30. Three models were made during 1934-35. The book Mauser: Military Rifles of the World, by Robert W.D. Ball has the info:
24/30 Short Rifle: 23.19" barrel
24/30 Carbine: 17.63" barrel
24/30 Target Rifle: 29" barrel (not many were made, but were used for the Olympics. That rare version would have some decent value).

Caliber for all of those Venezuelan Mausers is 7 x57mm Mauser, which was popular in Latin American in early to mid-20th century.
Originals had bolts and receivers that were 'in the white' (silver). The pics showed a blued action and holes for a scope mount, so it's been sporterized at some point, and the barrel/caliber might have been changed too, but its impossible to say without a knowledgeable gunsmith carefully examining it.
 
@Bibskid You said you got a replacement bolt for this rifle and it was too short, yes? Was the bolt too short for the action, or the action too short for the bolt?

Venezuela purchased a bunch of vz.24 Mausers in the '30s along with FN Model 30s; correct me if I'm wrong, fellas, but doesn't the vz.24 have a slightly-shorter action than the Gew98/Kar98k? Or is that the FN Model 24? One of them is shorter than the standard Gew98 pattern action by about 1/4" IIRC. That could be why your replacement bolt doesn't fit right. Either way, your action would have been chambered for 7mm Mauser back in the Old Country before it made its way to your grandpappy. It is possible, with no guarantee and a mine's worth of salt, that it was not rechambered. It is also equally possible that it was rechambered, perhaps to .30-06 because America and the 7mm bolt face is serviceable with that cartridge. But there's really no telling without a chamber cast.

Now also, I might've missed what it was you wanna do with this rifle? If you wanna restore it to OG Venezuelan Army configuration... Uh well it's doable, sure, but you'd be better off just finding a surplus Kar98k or any number of Mausers out there. They can be found for reasonable-ish prices still. Your rebuild wouldn't be worth the effort and have little in the way of collector value if that's what you want. If you wanna make it a shootable Mauser sporter, that's still doable provided it's all in workable condition. But you'd also be better off finding a sporter you like better and leaving this one as it is. That said, if you're willing to put in the time and money on it, don't let us stop you. It's your rifle and your money and good luck to you. You could in theory do worse than making this a very basic .30-06 or 7mm Mauser sporter with simple-ish parts, synthetic stock, and whatever else.

And uh bein' companionable n such, there, friend... Sayin' you wanna kick folks in the ass isn't how we do things in Vintage. You must present a formal declaration of intent to challenge, undersigned by both parties, the attending physician, seconds, and at least two additional witnesses. Once presented and accepted, the challenged party is allowed the choice of means by which ass is to be kicked and both must agree upon date, time, and location to be notated in said declaration prior to the fulfillment of the challenge. Finer details may be arranged subsequently. The rest of us will be enjoying the charcuterie and liquor selection. Gents, anyone have a suggestion on a good cheese to go with dry sausage and honey-roasted walnuts with a mead pairing?
 
Man I’ll bet he can’t even bench press the mouser! Bow kills? Only kills have been in the ORIGINAL Call of Duty
 
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@Bibskid You said you got a replacement bolt for this rifle and it was too short, yes? Was the bolt too short for the action, or the action too short for the bolt?

Venezuela purchased a bunch of vz.24 Mausers in the '30s along with FN Model 30s; correct me if I'm wrong, fellas, but doesn't the vz.24 have a slightly-shorter action than the Gew98/Kar98k? Or is that the FN Model 24? One of them is shorter than the standard Gew98 pattern action by about 1/4" IIRC. That could be why your replacement bolt doesn't fit right. Either way, your action would have been chambered for 7mm Mauser back in the Old Country before it made its way to your grandpappy. It is possible, with no guarantee and a mine's worth of salt, that it was not rechambered. It is also equally possible that it was rechambered, perhaps to .30-06 because America and the 7mm bolt face is serviceable with that cartridge. But there's really no telling without a chamber cast.

Now also, I might've missed what it was you wanna do with this rifle? If you wanna restore it to OG Venezuelan Army configuration... Uh well it's doable, sure, but you'd be better off just finding a surplus Kar98k or any number of Mausers out there. They can be found for reasonable-ish prices still. Your rebuild wouldn't be worth the effort and have little in the way of collector value if that's what you want. If you wanna make it a shootable Mauser sporter, that's still doable provided it's all in workable condition. But you'd also be better off finding a sporter you like better and leaving this one as it is. That said, if you're willing to put in the time and money on it, don't let us stop you. It's your rifle and your money and good luck to you. You could in theory do worse than making this a very basic .30-06 or 7mm Mauser sporter with simple-ish parts, synthetic stock, and whatever else.

And uh bein' companionable n such, there, friend... Sayin' you wanna kick folks in the ass isn't how we do things in Vintage. You must present a formal declaration of intent to challenge, undersigned by both parties, the attending physician, seconds, and at least two additional witnesses. Once presented and accepted, the challenged party is allowed the choice of means by which ass is to be kicked and both must agree upon date, time, and location to be notated in said declaration prior to the fulfillment of the challenge. Finer details may be arranged subsequently. The rest of us will be enjoying the charcuterie and liquor selection. Gents, anyone have a suggestion on a good cheese to go with dry sausage and honey-roasted walnuts with a mead pairing?
All purveyors of food, refreshments and booze must be duly licensed, pre approved and provide documentation of each.

The winner of said ass kicking event shall be entitled to 10% of gross concession commissions and 40% of gate fees.
 
All purveyors of food, refreshments and booze must be duly licensed, pre approved and provide documentation of each.

The winner of said ass kicking event shall be entitled to 10% of gross commissions and 40% of gate fees.
Gate fees are waived if carrying a sidearm produced, or reproduced in like fashion, prior to 1946. Proper attire is required; see Vintage bylaws for details.
 
Go fuck your boy friend you little bitch. More than you on both. I'm in Kansas you little bitch. Let's meet n find out who walks away. Bet you have a man bun so your boy friend has a saddle horn to hold.
Sir:

This is the vintage section. We don’t tolerate that BS here. Take it to the Bear Pit or you will find yourself on permanent vacation. This is the gentleman’s section of SH. Not troll-world.

Sirhr
 
You know what there are some real assholes on this site. Brother I'd beat your fucking ass. With the butt of this gun you piece of trash mother fucker.
First, if it (the threatening bullshit) happens again, you will get banned from this site.

Second, since you're obviously new to this site, I'd suggest you understand who it is you're talking to, before you start writing checks your ass can't cash. Many of these members have credentials that speak well of their service, experience and competence. And several of them would likely wipe the floor with your ass.

Thirdly, if you think there are a plethora of assholes on this site, maybe you should ask yourself why, and then either realize your fucking cocky, insulting attitude is likely the cause, and that in fact, YOU are the asshole, and then perhaps you can either tone it down, or use the fucking door. Or I will help you find it. Permanently.

Is that simple enough to understand, there sunshine?